beir

See also: beír

Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʲeɾʲ/, /bʲɛɾʲ/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish beirid, from Old Irish beirid, from Proto-Celtic *bereti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéreti. Cognate with English bear, Latin ferō, Sanskrit भर॑ति (bhárati).

Verb

beir (present analytic beireann, future analytic béarfaidh, verbal noun breith, past participle beirthe) (ambitransitive)

1. bear, give birth to (of persons, usually autonomously with do)

   Rug sí lao. ― She bore a calf.

   Rugadh iníon di. ― A daughter was born to her.

2. lay (of birds)
3. bear away, win
4. bring, take
5. proceed, advance

Conjugation

Conjugation of beir (irregular)

indicative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	beirim	beireann tú; beirir†	beireann sé, sí	beirimid; beireann muid	beireann sibh	beireann siad; beirid†	a bheireann; a bheireas	beirtear
past	rug mé; rugas	rug tú; rugais	rug sé, sí	rugamar; rug muid	rug sibh; rugabhair	rug siad; rugadar	a rug	rugadh
past habitual	bheirinn / beirinn‡	bheirteá / beirteá‡	bheireadh sé, sí / beireadh sé, sí‡	bheirimis; bheireadh muid / beirimis‡; beireadh muid‡	bheireadh sibh / beireadh sibh‡	bheiridís; bheireadh siad / beiridís‡; beireadh siad‡	a bheireadh	bheirtí / beirtí‡
	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
future	béarfaidh mé; béarfad	béarfaidh tú; béarfair†	béarfaidh sé, sí	béarfaimid; béarfaidh muid	béarfaidh sibh	béarfaidh siad; béarfaid†	a bhéarfaidh, a bhéarfas	béarfar
conditional	bhéarfainn / béarfainn‡	bhéarfá / béarfá‡	bhéarfadh sé, sí / béarfadh sé, sí‡	bhéarfaimis; bhéarfadh muid / béarfaimis‡; béarfadh muid‡	bhéarfadh sibh / béarfadh sibh‡	bhéarfaidís; bhéarfadh siad / béarfaidís‡; béarfadh siad‡	a bhéarfadh	bhéarfaí / béarfaí‡
subjunctive	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
present	go mbeire mé; go mbeiread†	go mbeire tú; go mbeirir†	go mbeire sé, sí	go mbeirimid; go mbeire muid	go mbeire sibh	go mbeire siad; go mbeirid†	—	go mbeirtear
past	dá mbeirinn	dá mbeirteá	dá mbeireadh sé, sí	dá mbeirimis; dá mbeireadh muid	dá mbeireadh sibh	dá mbeiridís; dá mbeireadh siad	—	dá mbeirtí
imperative	singular			plural			direct relative	autonomous
	first	second	third	first	second	third
—	beirim	beir	beireadh sé, sí	beirimis	beirigí; beiridh†	beiridís	—	beirtear
past participle	beirthe
verbal noun	breith

^† archaic or dialect form
^‡ dependent form

In Munster, past indicative forms built on the form riug are encountered:

• riugas (1st person singular)
• riugais (2nd person singular)
• riug (analytic)
• riugamar (1st person plural)
• riugabhair (2nd person plural)
• riugadar (3rd person plural)

Derived terms

• beir ar (“catch; overtake”)

Further reading

• A. Palandri, Ú. Bhreathnach, M. Měchura, G. Ó Cleircín, and B. Ó Raghallaigh, (2026), “beir”, in Taisce Chanúintí na Gaeilge - Repository of Irish Dialects‎^[2] (in Irish and English), Dublin City University
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “beirim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 93; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “beir”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

beir

1. (literary, Munster) second-person singular future of bí

   Beir ana-shásta ansin.

   You will be very happy there.

Usage notes

The modern standard form is the analytic construction beidh tú.

Mutation

Mutated forms of beir

radical	lenition	eclipsis
beir	bheir	mbeir

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Middle English

Noun

beir

1. (Essex) alternative form of ber

Middle Scots

Alternative forms

• bere
• bear, beare, beere (Anglicised)

Etymology

Inherited from Early Scots bere, from Old English bēor, from Proto-West Germanic *beuʀ, from Proto-Germanic *beuzą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biːr/

Noun

beir

1. (uncountable) beer

Descendants

• Scots: beer

References

• “bere, beir, n.³”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC, reproduced from William A[lexander] Craigie, A[dam] J[ack] Aitken [et al.], editors, A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue: […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1931–2002, →OCLC.

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʲeɾʲ/

Verb

beir

1. second-person singular imperative of beirid

Verb

·beir

1. third-person singular present conjunct of beirid

Mutation

Mutation of ·beir

radical	lenition	nasalization
·beir	·beir pronounced with /βʲ-/	·mbeir

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish beirid.

Verb

beir (past rug, future beiridh, verbal noun breith, past participle beirte)

1. to give birth to
2. to carry, catch; catch up with; overtake; catch hold of [with air]

Conjugation

Conjugation of rug (irregular)

indicative	independent		dependent
	personal	impersonal	personal	impersonal
past	rug	rugadh	rug	rugadh
future	beiridh	beirear	beir	beirear
relative future	bheireas	bheirear	—	—
conditional	independent		dependent
	personal	impersonal	personal	impersonal
first person singular	bheirinn	bheirte(adh) bheirist(e)2	bheirinn	beirte(adh) beirist(e)2
first person plural	bheireamaid bheireadh sinn		beireamaid beireadh sinn
second/third person	bheireadh		beireadh
imperative	singular		plural
	personal	impersonal	personal	impersonal
first person	beiream	beirear	beireamaid	beirear
second person	beir		beiribh
third person	beireadh		beireadh
past participle	beirte
verbal noun	breith; beirsinn2

1. Lewis dialect form
2. Less common
Note: The dependent forms are lenited after the negative particle cha.

References

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “beir”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “beirid”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

West Flemish

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch bēre, from Old Dutch *bero, from Proto-West Germanic *berō.

Noun

beir m (plural beirn)

1. bear (large predatory mammal of the family Ursidae)
2. (figurative) person who is physically impressive and/or crude

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch bêer, from Old Dutch *bēr, from Proto-West Germanic *bair.

Noun

beir m (plural beirn)

1. boar (male swine)